Union

On December 12 and 13, 2016, during a sunny winter season, the 5th Constituency Meeting of Taiwan Conference (TWC) was held at the Taichung Adventist Church. After the opening devotional, the delegates were engaged with various agendas and elections. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the delegates were able to work harmoniously.

Before the election took place, an organization committee was formed with 16 delegates from the 11 ministry districts. Led by Pastor Jairyong Lee, president of the Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD), the organization committee elected 20 nominating committee members.

Later in the evening, the nominating committee, chaired by Pastor Lee, met to elect the new president for TWC. The discussion and process were highly intense, but the atmosphere was peaceful. Eventually, the current president, Elder Noah Lai, was re-elected as the president of TWC for the next four years.

The other elections were scheduled to take place the day after the election of the president. After the morning devotional, the nominating committee continued their task of nominating candidates for executive secretary, treasurer, and the board members of Taipei Adventist American School.

Pastor Lee, the chair of the nominating committee, led the members in prayer and asked for God’s wisdom and the Holy Spirit’s guidance. After some discussion, Pastor Mark Tseng, the senior pastor of Taichung Adventist Church, was elected as the new executive secretary and Elder Dan Liu as the new treasurer.

The selection of the new Executive Committee went smoothly. The Executive Committee is composed of 27 members, including the division and conference officers, institutional representatives, ministers, and lay members. The Taipei Adventist American School Board includes the conference officers, school principal and business manager, senior pastor of New Life International Church, one parent representative, one lay member, and one TWC department director.

A major action approved during the constituency meeting was the extension of the service term for the officers and directors from three years to four years. In order to coordinate with the NSD’s goal for the quinquennium, “Vision One Million 2020,” TWC has been promoting “777 Mission First Movement” since 2016. The goal of the movement is to reach 10,000 church members in Taiwan by 2020. If the goal is successfully achieved, TWC will be under consideration to change from conference to union status.

At the dedication ceremony, Elder Stanley Ng, assistant to the president for the NSD, challenged and encouraged the delegates with Nehemiah’s experience: “The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, ‘The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.’ So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 1:1-4, NKJV).

Elder Ng said to the delegates, “The wall which protects our spiritual lives has been destroyed. We need to unite to build God’s church.” He continued, “Dear brothers and sisters, Taiwan Conference needs to be built as well. Let us build the wall for TWC with united spirit.” By the spirit of God, TWC will welcome the year 2020 with 10,000 church members and fulfill TWC’s vision and mission.